Oil-cloth protector.



' M. I. MoMILLAN. v OIL CLOTH PROTECTOR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1906.

' PATENTED MAY 1. 1907;

I table of rectangular shape.

MARGARET IDA MoMILLAN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

OIL-CLOTH PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed February 10,1905. Serial No. 245,072.

To CLZZ whom it nut/y concern: I Be it known that I, MARGARET IDA Mo- INIILLAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented cerl tain new and useful Improvements in Oil- Cloth Protectors; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others; skilled in the art to which it appertains to I make and use the same, reference being had l to the accompanying drawings, and to the 1 letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in oilcloth protectors. l The term oilcloth as used in this specification has reference to the covering used on tables and ordinarily designated as oilcloth for the reason that it has a smooth surface on one side formed by coating canvas or otherv suitable fabric, with some material adapted to produce this result. It is well known that where coverings of this character are applied to tables, the covering wears quickly where the corners of the table engage it, with the result that the oiled or smooth coating, rapidly becomes destroyed and breaks or peels off.

My object is to overcome this difliculty,

. by providing this covering with protecting corner pieces which may be formed of some thin metal sufliciently flexible for the purpose nd adapted at the same time to retain its shape and conform in a general way to the natural shape which the oilcloth assumes at the table corners when the covering is in place. If desired other material may be employed. While it is believed that some thin flexible metal as copper or brass will be preferable, it must be understood that the invention is not limited in this regard since any i suitable material adapted to perform the desired function may be employed.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction as well as the function it is intended to perform, I will proceed to describe the same in detail reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a table covering provided with my improvement, the covering being shown in the position it will assume when applied to a Fig. 2 is an en- 1 larged detail elevation illustrating one conn'er of the covering with the protecting conner piece applied. Fig. 3 is an inside view of the covering showing the inner extremities of the fastening devices. In this view the circular dotted line indicates the size of the corner piece, while the dotted lines forming a right angle, indicate the location of the table corner viewed from above.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate an ordinary piece of oilcloth adapted for use in covering a table of rectangular shape. To this oilcloth is applied four corner pieces 6, thesaid pieces being detachably secured by means of fastening devices 7. These corner pieces are so applied that when, the covering is in place on the table, they will be located at the corners of the table and will cover not only the upper portion of the covering adjacent the corner but will also cover the depending part of the cloth adjacent the corner. By forming this corner piece of very thin flexible metal adapted to retain its shape, a part of the depending portion of the metal at the corner, may be crimped to conform to the crimp or wrinkle of the depending portion of the covering at each corner of the table. This crimping of the metal, will cause the oilcloth to retain a uniform crimped position where the metal corner piece is located. The corner pieces may be applied to the oilcloth when the latter is occupying a uniform plane, by the means of suitable fastening devices. In the drawing these devices-are shown provided with exposed heads and split shanks which after piercing the corner piece and the cloth, are bent in opposite directions on the under side in the same manner as ordinary paper fasteners. This makes the corner pieces readily attachable and detachable. If it is desired to remove a corner piece, the split shanks of the fastening devices are straightened out when the latter may be readily removed. After the corner pieces have been applied to the cloth, the latter may be placed upon the table to be covered, after which the depending portion of the corner piece, as well as the depending portion of the cloth, may be crimped to conform in a general way to the natural crimp which the oilcloth would assume at the table corner. Another advantage of my improved device, consists in the fact that the corner pieces retain the I tained by thecrimped portions of the corner oilcloth securely in place upon the table pieces.

when applied to the latter, and prevent the 2. A table cover provided With a number cloth from being accidentally pulled off or of corner pieces applied thereto exteriorly, removed. as is very common With articles the location of the corner pieces conforming of "this class. The material as metal of 1 to the portions of the cover engaged by the Which the corner pieces are made, Will be table corners When the cover is in place, the sufficiently stiff to perform the aforesaid material of the corner pieces being thin and function. I flexible, and of such character as to retain Having thus described my invention, What its shape When bent to conform to the shape I claim is: of the corner portions of the table cover When 1. The combination With an oilcloth table covering, of corner pieces composed of thin flexible metal applied to the covering eX teriorly and conforming to the location of the table corners When the covering is in place thereon, the depending portions of the said in position, and suitable means for removably fastening the corner pieces in place.

In testimony whereof I a'fIiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MARGARET IDA MOMILLAN.

corner pieces being crimped and the corre- 1 Witnesses sponding portlons of the table covering 3 DENA NELsoN, folded, the folds of the covering being re- A. J. OBRIEN. 

